Are you about to ‘fire up’ your blood pressure?

If the snow, sleet, and hail eventually stop falling from the sky, we’ll know that spring really has arrived!

Well, you know that’s going to happen sooner or later. And when it does, it will be time to haul the grill out of hiding and cook up some favorites.

But just in time to throw cold water on the charcoal, a new study comes saying that the higher the cooking temperature, the higher your blood pressure readings could go.

And that appears to be the case even if what you’re eating is a “healthy” dish like fish.

That, however, isn’t all these BBQ party poopers found out.

Apparently, any type of high-heat cooking, including broiling in your oven, can have the same effect.

But there are some easy ways to make grilling safer… and there are precautions you can take even when you’re cooking in the kitchen.

Turning down the heat

Just in time for summer, some new warnings have been released about the risk of cooking at high temps.

Researchers from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health took an extensive look at over 100,000 nurses and health professionals who took part in three previous studies. When they analyzed their eating habits and crunched the numbers, they discovered that those who had a preference for well-done and charred red meat, chicken, or fish had a greater risk of developing high blood pressure.

While the scientists weren’t exactly sure why that cooking method could trigger this reaction, they said that it appears to be the result of the chemicals that those high temperatures produce. And that makes sense, as other studies have found that heat-created compounds can cause you to develop oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance – factors that may elevate the risk of developing high blood pressure by causing the inner linings of blood vessels to narrow.

But blood pressure worries aren’t the only grilling and broiling dilemmas. There are also carcinogenic compounds, called HCAs, that form on meat during high-heat cooking.

And the more well-done you like it, the more HCAs you’ll be eating along with that salmon, steak, or burger.

In fact, research on both humans and animals done several years ago came up with a definite link between those HCAs and cancer – particularly prostate cancer.

But you don’t have to give up grilling entirely, as several simple steps can significantly make the foods you love safer – and even tastier in the process!

For example:

• Several years ago, a team from the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii found an antidote to those HCAs – in the form of a tasty marinade! Their recommendations were to use a half a cup of marinade for every pound of meat. But the “secret sauce,” so to speak, is the use of herbs such as basil, mint, rosemary, sage, marjoram, thyme, and oregano in that marinade.
• Don’t go for the charred look, and make sure to flip whatever you’re cooking more often. If you do get some areas that are burnt, trim them off before eating.
• Cut the fat off your steaks prior to cooking. When fat drips onto a heat source, another cancer-causing compound is formed. Plus, it will be a whole lot easier to clean up!

Of course, if high blood pressure is something that you’re already struggling with, it might be best to not take any chances with the BBQ and to look to other, lower-temp ways to cook up your favorites. Roasting, poaching, and even creating a Crock-Pot stew are all good ways to turn down the heat on meat.

“Grilling meat could raise risk of high blood pressure study finds” Brett Molina, March 23, 2018, USA Today, uusatoday.com